


Black Pond

by PowderedMilk



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Carnival, Circus, Cosima is a klutz, Different species, Hatred, I breathe angst i'm srry, Magic Tricks, Original Character(s), Prejudice, Rating May Change, Reincarnation, Segregation, Separation, Tags May Change, and death, but with a twist, stunts and acts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 14:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14214924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PowderedMilk/pseuds/PowderedMilk
Summary: Life hidden between eccentricity and dominance.The sinister grasp of acceptance from segregation is needed in this world. Luckily, a circus home to unwary species extend their hand out to anyone of any kind. Here, people be able to experience the fun loving anxiety gushing through their stomachs or end up cringing from the fact that they're surrounded by weirdos.--Cosima was once an orphaned child who lived among other orphaned children; not fully a normal life but one that was tolerable. Until during the orphans afternoon play, little Cosima fell over a hill and came across a pond with jet black water. Musk black hands stuck out from the waters and brought Cosima into it, reincarnated him into another world. He no longer remembers his past life, all his previous memories were wiped clean and filled with new ones. He only remembers his present life, the life he's living now.





	Black Pond

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies! This is my first chapter story and i'm actually quite shy about it. The first few chapters are going to be bumpy but hopefully the future chapters to come are going to be much better. 
> 
> Have a wonderful day you guys! ♡

"All throughout time people have always been prejudice against others who were the complete opposite of them. Never giving them a chance to introduce themselves or share their interests without being judged and mistreated. Only imagine a world where race wasn't hated and species was considered a 'curse'. Where people are taught that the opposite species of them were a disgrace and only brought anger. To fear the differences between one another, distant out all ethnicity that wasn't your own, and remove all contact with them no matter the costs even if they showed or did you no harm. You'd think there was a time where species stood together in peace without a care however that is all folktale. The leaders for each specie refused to work and come to an agreement which only caused an uproar between the government. Each specie disbanded from the group and created their own laws, rules, and government systems. They all move their species to separate continents to hermit themself from each other. They created their own segregation. A system they like to think as something that balances species by separating them, causing harmony between the differences they share. The species mentioned were humans, chiroptera, and reveries. Chirotera were blood drinking shape shifters with pale skin that subsists by feeding on the living. Not all were able to shape shift into a bat but still carried intimidating strength. They eventually adapted the name "vampire" as the centuries passed. Reveries were connected to the spiritual world, some relied heavily on dreams and other didn't. The dream consumers were blandly called 'dream eaters' by the humans. There were minor species that existed as well but they either related to the humans or reveries and didn't really have much of a difference from the species stated. They were all finally able to live their lives in peace away from the other dissimilar species, only communicating when appropriate. Eventually they-" 

Suddenly the guardian shut her notebook as her attention turned to the glistering eyes staring wildly at her. She smiled and pointed to the direction of the miniature clock nailed to the wall reminding the younger children that it was a few minuets past their afternoon playtime. "Looks like I got a a little bit carried away with reading. Lets all head out and enjoy the outdoors." She stood up, her joints popping due to old age and made her way to the front of the door. The younger children studied the action and complied to it. Little legs all around were getting up, some struggled while others pranced to their guardian. There wasn't many in the group, seven to be exact but they still formed a perfect line despite the lack of orphans in their group. The guardian opened her hand out for one little boy to grasp it. He had fallen ill with a cold and was unable to join in line with the other children without the fear of getting them sick. Through the surgical face mask his mouth was still open in aghast even upon accepting her hand. He enjoyed hearing his guardian speak about prejudice and segregation, he didn't agree with it but loved the way she put it into words. He grew fond of her educational storybook that she hand written; since deep down she knew children wouldn't settle to listen to the true definition of things without pulling off a snooze. It made his brain intrigue enough to fall deeply with the story. The guardian waited patiently until the children stopped fidgeting with their excitement before gesturing them to follow her. Soft steps padded the floor making their way to the mudroom where they're shoes laid flat, expecting their arrival. Tiny conversations sparked between the kids while they laced their shoes and zipped their jackets. The line formed once more and with the guardians approval they disband outside in praise. Weather was absolutely nice, warm, with a chilly aftereffect. The children were nothing but grateful for it. 

The ground was perfectly dry for a nice game of hopscotch in which a young girl took great advantage of. With only seven children not much of a rumble was made other than their heart filled giggles being made during double dutch or their chatter box friends discussing the rules for a long game of tag. All the rest remained quiet as they enjoyed time to their self scribbling with chalk. Of course the boy who had fallen ill stayed aside and played with toys which consisted of his cat plush and plastic car. The boy's name was Cosima. He was always having a cold, his body seemed to fall sick easily. Even in the dog days of Summer he still managed to get the dreaded Summer cold. Sickness didn't want to give him a break and so he was forced to stay distant from the other children because the guardians of the orphanage didn't want them to get sick either. He didn't mind it really, the kids still loved him and cared for him. It just got frustrating at times when he wasn't able to join in exciting games that involved holding hands or up close interaction. Cosima didn't have much of a personality, he was a child. Just a child. Even being nine years old, he liked eating soft foods, play with bean bags, hear his guardian's stories, and have nap time. He didn't have goals for the future or wanted to understand his parent's disappearance; in which he had no idea how he got into the orphanage to begin with. To put it lightly, he was unorthodox. 

Cosima twiddled with the wheels on the plastic car in his hands before brushing it on concrete to make the wheels move faster. He was pretending that his cat plush was the one operating the car, making it move as it pleased. He brought himself up and departed away to the light pole with the car still in hand. He wanting to see how fast this toy car went without holding it. Bringing the car into contact with the ground and placing his cat plush on top of it, Cosima's eyes shined with determination before using full forced to push the car forward, letting go, making it drive on it's own. He watched in pure awe as the car raced against the ground rumbling under the loose tiny rocks. This made the cat plush slunk off and slip to the side from the lack of support. It started to slow down as the ground leveled but picked up on speed when it tipped over a small conical styled hill, getting stuck in bramble. Cosima went to obtain his car until he noticed it was out of reach. The hill wasn't overly steep but still too difficult to get access to the car without slipping. A frown rested on his face while dangling his arm to fish the car. He placed himself in a sitting position using his knees to gain more leverage. He put most of his body weight on his free arm while using the other to get the toy. It was still no good. His body leaned in ever so slightly to make his hand get closer and closer. He kept doing this until his index finger barely danced against the plastic of the car. Anxiety damped his head from the pressure of the moment. He was almost in grabbing distance but didn't take action until he could feel the toy under his finger tips. He gained control and snatched the car but became wobbly from the imbalanced pose. He fell over but dug his nails into the ground to keep himself from toppling over. The heat of his face was noticeable, Cosima was struggling for the life of him. The toy car in his hand felt as if it was trying to pry itself away from him but his grip was too strong. Mouth dry, he silently asked for help until suddenly his free hand gave up which inverted him down the hill. The toy car he was once holding flew over his head and out into the depths of the hill. Cosima's body skidded down patches of dirt hitting swift sticks and prickly leaves. He fell upright until force pushed him sideways, scraping his arms. 

Heart pounding, small noises escaped his lips as he tumbled his way down to what seemed to be a pond. Horror alarmed his entire body, he didn't know how to swim! His riot didn't come to a halt until he forced himself to stay still by hanging onto a mix of grass, dirt and yarrow. He even managed to tear through some of the earth roots. His fingers numbed from the pressure he was creating, his nails were probably clumped with dirt by this point. Cosima's head barely touched the water before flinging himself up and away from the pond, breathing hard. Cosima whimpered a bit at the pain that was presenting itself. His hand gently caressed the bruises that had formed and turned an odd shade of purple. His clothing had green grass stains that were clear to see, his legs were coated in both dirt and blood. His hair was unruly but no twigs were poking out. The surgical mask that was once held onto his face was nowhere to be found. He was disappointed at how filthy he'd become from the fall. It would be almost impossible to stare at him without making a hiss. Cosima needed a bath, med kit, and a good nights rest about now. The cut marks weren't as big as he'd expected them which did fill him with relief but his feelings quickly switch to fear. The pond that rested before him wasn't what he'd expected it to look like. Weren't ponds supposed to be clear? It was certainly something he'd never seen in person before. Even contaminated water didn't looks so abnormal. The pond was completely black. 

It was a scary sight to see especially for a young boy like himself. In all honesty, it almost looked like the black lagoon's resting ground from those late night horror movies he used to sneak and watch. He didn't run or escape further, instead he just sat there looking dumbfound at the water. Did someone pour gas? Is it oil? Maybe a person empty black paint into the water? Cosima carried himself forward to give the water a tiny tap. The water bounced from his touch and a small ripple was created and then disappeared. It seemed like a normal pond. Nothing too odd right? Cosima kept his stance but continued to play with the water by smacking his hand against it. His tiny hand scooped up some of the black water and rubbed it against the cuts on his bruised arm. It was refreshing, cool against his battled skin. The water seemed to be safe to use but was it safe to drink? Hesitation trembled him as he wasn't fully thirsty. It was just the anxiety that bonded in with his curiosity leaving him with one final question. What did the water taste like? His unconscious mind stopped preventing him from drinking the water. His hand dipped into the black pond, swinging it up quickly to take a drink. His face scrunched up in disbelief, jolting at the sudden texture. The water had turned into what looked and tasted like ink. But it wasn't ink, it was something much more nauseating. In less than a millisecond, black substance spewed from his mouth as he spitted and tempted to hack it out. The murky water dribbled down his chin which was rubbed away by his wrist. It was utterly disgusting probably one of the worst things to ever be placed in his mouth. The aftertaste wasn't any better. Cosima tried wiping the access ink from his tongue but the taste still lingered. He glanced over at the pond and couldn't understand what happened. It was water when he damped his arm but ink when he tasted it. He placed his hand into the pond once more and to his surprise it was water again. Except it started to ripple more than a few. His attention was turned to the movement of the pond. Everything seemed alright at first until something reached up out of the pond and started dragging him into it. Cosima was intimidated by the situation, unable to wiggle away freely. He kicked his legs out in hopes of escaping but nothing worked. Black coated hands started snaking out of water impacting him to go into the pond. The strength was too much for him to carry and had no other choice but to submit himself. The hands brought him deep into the pond's water which had turned into pure muck. 

Instead of pain, agony, or fear, he was in complete calmness. It was a very weightless feeling to him; something he couldn't explain in full words, like his spirit was disconnecting itself from his body. Frightening thoughts didn't float his brain and just accepted this fate that was happening to him. His mind shut off and was falling limp. Cosima believed he was experiencing death but a very peaceful one. It was just that he wasn't actually dying, his existence was leaving this world behind. Fortunate for him, it was a very quick process. His former life flashed before him as if he was never there. All his memories were being replaced with false information. His brain became blank from then on and was filled with weird visions of him performing in a circus named 'Arioch.' It seemed familiar to him since his brain was starting to create illusions of things like doing stuff that he'd never done and knowing people he's never met. All thoughts, memories, and experiences at the orphanage was wiped clean, never to be remembered. "Arioch." He felt the words dance across his tongue. His home was now in Arioch, the circus home to all unwary species. A place with acceptance, with nonjudgmental smiles. Open hands and open hearts. Eccentricity, peculiar ways. It was his life now and was made to live in it. 

His eyes awoken from his slumber but not in surprise, no, only in refreshment. He prompt himself up on his elbows, getting a good look of the room he was in. It seemed to be a resting area for the sick but painted in the colors of a circus tent. Odd enough, he knew where he was. Cosima was in a totally different environment, not the orphanage. Definitely not. He'd forgotten completely about this past life of his and could only remember the present, the life he's currently in. The room didn't look any where near the one they had in the orphanage. The room was set up eccentric but beautiful in his opinion. With mismatched dolls and clown colored faces covering half of the walls. Unique saws and trickery weapons where displayed neatly in a glass cabinet. He noticed that his hair was longer than before and even a different color, it was a light shade of purple. His hair gently touched against his shoulder blades with long strands of hair waving behind. His body seemed taller too, he was no longer a young child, possibly around seventeen-eighteen years of age. Cosima wasn't worried or petrified from the sight of his new look. It was like he switched into another person but Cosima knew it was him. His resting position was getting rather uncomfortable and switched so he was sitting on the side of the bed with his legs dangling. The mirror that was placed in front of him gave him a perfect view of himself. His eyes were glossed purple and it seemed he was wearing what looked like pajamas. He had quite a bit of band-aids on his thighs, he may have gotten hurt again like the clumsy human he was. Cosima was studying himself in the mirror, until he noticed the emotionless faced Puppeteer through the reflection. They had showed up in Cosima's room without worry as if they had a message to address. They're body was doll-like. Pale porcelain skin, short figure, and emotionless facial expressions that stuck for days. He gave the approaching guest a smile because Cosima knew who they were. It was Puppet. A friend of theirs. 

They were mute, never talked. Even if Cosima longed to hear Puppet's voice, a tiny grunt or squeak, it never happened. Puppet was a quiet living doll making little to no noise; keeping their mouth shut constantly. They chose not to speak and commonly used actions to replace words sometimes using sign language when the opportunity called for it. They are fully capable of speech but choose not to speak due to unknown circumstances; possibly they are selectively mute. Even if they did decide to speak, their sentences were disorganized making almost no sense. They may talk in code or create words that do not exist. It's so skewed that you'd understand them better if they didn't talk at all. How they managed to get around being a unspeakable doll was unknown to him but never questioned it. The circus had many unexplained occurrences that a small doll like Puppet didn't matter. Puppet is mysterious, having some kind of connection with dolls. Being one themself, they were kin with the dolls. They are introverted and won't communicate or show their face out to people even if it has to do with their job. Cosima seemed to be one of the people that they tolerated. They'd honestly rather be with their dolls, caring for them and keeping them safe.

Cosima's senses came together, eyes widen at the sight of Puppet and got out of bed to join them. They tilted their head to show concern for Cosima, stoic eyes glancing at Cosima's injuries caused by his own clumsiness. He was confused at first until he realized that he had fainted during rehearsal. He must have banged his head with a blunt object. A foolish expression crowned his face and rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, don't worry about me Puppet. I'm feeling much better, a little head injury isn't going to prevent me from practicing for the show tomorrow." Puppet batted their lashes knowing Cosima didn't have much of a brain to damage but they let it slide like any other risky stunt Cosima's done. They gestured Cosima to follow them and he did. A single foot out the door made Cosima feel like he was experiencing Narnia. The size of the building was unreal. His eyes rampaged the spiral walls, hard floors, and carnival decorations, sinking in the surrounding area around him. Balloons were held up by a string, only a rock with different colored wrapping paper kept it from flying away. Popcorn suspenders lined up beside cotton candy stands along with food vending machines. Clown figures stood tall in random places, some were with elephants and others held food related objects. They must have been in the indoor food court, it was a convenient place to be. Health help, restrooms, and food to satisfy your hunger's needs was all here. Except no one was here, indicating the carnival wasn't open today. Cosima figured Puppet was taking him back to the rehearsal room, that way he could continue practicing along with the other circus performers. His theory was correct when Puppet escorted him to another building that was named "The Fun House." It was the performer's practice room where they all played out their stunts, magic tricks, and attempts to teach animals to undertake in astonishing skillful acts. When it came to the animals, they chose domestic instead of wild. Animal abuse was not accepted here and all tricks preformed by them were done naturally with care. Arioch provided some of the best performances in healthy environments. Except the performers themself tend to take on risky, dangerous stunts out of confidence. They succeed in what they do which is why Cosima admires each one of them. He wouldn't trade any of this for the world. The life he once knew back in the orphanage was completely disintegrated into thin air, not to be remembered again. 

His name is Cosima Arioch now. Not an orphan, but as an only child by his father, the owner of the Arioch Circus.  
Cosima was certainly deemed as special, and possibly the biggest klutz of all times.


End file.
